The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-19
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
OLD SETTLERS.
JUDGE EDWIN SHERMAN LELAND,
(C0nciuded)

(CoRcladed)
In The year 1889 Judge Leland, having
purchased claim TO tract of u ), land
near Oregon, in Ogle county, moved onto II
in order 10 protect his claim and he a'ier
wards Obtained u patent lie remained in
Ogle county about four years, and prac'iced
law in that and adjoining counties with good
success. In 1910 he went to Boston, and
was there married on the 10th OF April 10
Margaret b. Miles. who WAS daughter OF
George Miles, Of Baltimore, then deceased
Her mothers maiden name was Sarah B'
Blagse The husband and wife went TO Ogle
county soon after their marriage, where
they resided, part Of the time in log cabin
on the farm, and part of the time in Oregon,
until the winter Of 1884, when they
moved TO Ottawa. Taking eG.h other as
companions for life, "for better or for worse,
for richer OF for poorer" they have for
nearly forty seven years endured together
without unreasonable complaining the poor.
or and the worse" and enjoyed with a
thank full spirit the "rcher and the better"
and they have together undergone with for
titude and resignation the hardships and
trials of pioneer life. Their religion
through life has been Untarianism, quite
prevalent about Boston, and being the same
az that Of their parents. Two of their chill
dren, George NJ. and Sherman, were born In
Ogle county, and their daughter, now Mrs.
Gilbert. in Ottawa after their removal here,
The only official position he held in Ogle
county was that Of county treasurer. Society
was in An unsettled state in that county when
he went there, and many kinds of crime
were quite common. and criminals seemed
to be banded together for the purpose. This
condition Of affairs became so serious that
attempts were made by the better class of
citizens to drive the ruffans out of the
country. On one Sunday evening in ls4l a
respectable farmer, named Campbell, who
had taken an active part against these Grim
insls, was shot and killed in his own yard,
in the presence Of his wife. On the follow
ing day there was intense excitement, and a
large number Of people assembled. From
information then obtained certain persons Of
the name Of Driscoll were suspected, and it
having been discovered that horses had been
hitcned in . thicket near by, trail made by
them was followed, leading to the place
where these persons lived. The father and
two grownup sons were taken to grove
near Daysville and, after trial which rem
dered their guilt sufficiently clear, the father
and the eldest son were executed by shoot
ing. After this many Of the criminal class
left the country, and the condition of society
became much better. The excuse for such
summary work was that the evil had become
so serious that there seemed to be no other
adequate remedy. As some five or six prom
inent citizens had been threatened with a
fate similar to that of Campbell. il may be
said that some more speedy and certain REM
edy than that 10 be obtained through the
courts of law was absolutely necessary as n
means Of self defense. At any rate, those
who had been threatened with loss of their
lives declined to wait for their legal repre-
sentatives to pursue more regular and law
full mode Of punishment
While in Ogle county Judge Leland and
Judge Ford, who then resided at Oregon,
agreed to enter into partnership in the prac
tice Of the law, and they went together by
private conveyance as far as Burlington,
Iowa, and examined that and intermediate
places, with the intent of selecting loca-
ton. The nomination and election of Judge
Ford a. Governor, however, prevented its
consummstion. II Judge Ford had not been
so nominated and elected, Judge Leland 8
life would since then have been another and
different one from what it has been Even
his grand children, If he had had any, would
undoubtedly have been somebody else. Let
any one of mature years look back over his
own life, and he will realize how true is the
following saying of Lord Greville: Surely
no man can reflect, without wonder, upon
the vioissitudes of human life arising from
causes in the highest degree accidental and
triAing. If you trace the necessary concate'
nation of human events very little way
back, you may perhaps discover that a per-
sons very going in or out of door has been
the means of coloring with misery or happI
ness the remaining current Of his life" The
subject of our sketch is quite certain that if
he had not been appointed one Of the ap
praisers to appraise the property of de-
ceased person in Dorchester, Massachusetts,,
he never would have met his wife, and that
his children and grand children, if any,
would have been somebody else.
Upon his return to Ottawa Judge Leland
continued TO practice law, and was thus en-
gagged until October, 1852, when he succeed.
ed Judge Dickey, who had resigned, as
Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit COM
posed of the counties of Kendall, La Sale,
Bureau, Putnam, Marshall and Livingston.